Richard Columbus Mears was born in Accomack County, Virginia in 1829. He worked as a merchant ship captain on numerous ships out of New York, for most of his life while his family remained in Fair Haven, Connecticut. He traveled all over the world and wrote his only daughter, Nellie Goodsell Mears Van Valkenburgh, his three wives and many other family members faithfully. Mears sent his daughter many keepsakes, plant samples, and literature from his journeys. He retired briefly to Sailors' Snug Harbor in New York in 1893 but soon became a shopkeeper in Greene, New York where his daughter and her family lived. He stayed with them until his death in 1899.

This collection was largely organized by Richard Columbus Mears and his daughter, Nellie. He sorted his accounts and kept meticulous records of his journeys. His daughter organized his records further and it is in this condition that they arrived at Mystic Seaport. The orignal order was kept as much as possible and the only items that were moved were either not dated or relocated in order to separate personal accounts from business accounts. The Richard Columbus Mears Collection is is arranged by series as described below.

Series 1: Personal Correspondence. 1816-1972

Series 2: Personal Papers, Miscellaneous. 1816-1972

Series 3: Business and Personal Papers and Correspondence, Merchant Mariner. 1853-1892

Series 4: Business and Personal Papers and Correspondence, Shopkeeper. 1893-1897

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the G. W. Blunt White Library. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.